After two resounding victories with a rain of goals against Animo 6 (8–30) and Doorn 4 (34–15), Débaldérin 1 played their first home afternoon match on Saturday, December 14, against RDZ 4.
Not much resistance was expected from RDZ, although the team had already secured two wins. Débaldérin aimed to play well again and score a large number of goals. They had to do so without the goals of Tine, as well as the absence of Sara, while Kamiel, recovering from an ankle injury, was also unavailable. Kamiel once again offered to make himself useful as a referee to work on his condition — a role he had performed successfully the week prior against Doorn.
Captain Tirza led the team into attack alongside Nathalie, Bart, and Tom. These gentlemen hadn’t played much with the Apeldoorn ladies, but training had shown this to be a promising combination, albeit one that needed more practice. The defense was formed by Marieke, Lara, Deen, and Matthijs, with Willemijn and potential debutant Jurren starting on the bench.
It took a while for RDZ to enter the hall. The experienced opponents seemed to believe they had practiced enough, as they declared themselves ready after only a brief warm-up. This was despite acknowledging that Débaldérin’s results so far had instilled a fair amount of fear in them.
Unsurprisingly, the first goal was scored by the home team, with Tirza opening the tally. RDZ quickly responded with an equalizer. Only then did Débaldérin pull ahead, sinking shots, small chances, and running-in goals. After RDZ scored their third running-in goal, the score stood at 10–3. The RDZ ladies frequently employed the 2-2 crossing tactic, a classic youth korfball trick. Despite being much younger than their opponents, it took Débaldérin some time to adjust to this strategy.
From this point on, the scores were more evenly matched, with the halftime score at 14–6. Débaldérin wasn’t entirely satisfied and discussed tactical adjustments during the break. Willemijn and Jurren replaced Marieke and Bart, meaning Marieke still awaits her first full match.
After the break, things became more challenging, particularly for the predominantly Apeldoorn-based attack. RDZ had preemptively adjusted their strategy regarding Tom’s tall opponent, a recurring issue for Débaldérin. When shots fail to land, it becomes frustrating. Nevertheless, Tirza managed to score twice more in the second half, more than doubling her season total. The Wajo’s (nickname for the Débaldérin players) kept scoring steadily, although substitute Bart was more focused on unsuccessfully filming a specific refereeing incident than updating the scoreboard.
To speed up the game, Matthijs proposed switching zones, but before the bench decided whom to switch with, Matthijs had to leave the field due to an injury. Following this, Jurren marked his Débaldérin 1 debut with a goal, and Bart set the final score at 23–8.
RDZ concluded with a philosophical question: “Is this still fun for you?”—a reference to the significant scoring gap and differences in korfball approach between the teams. The answer to that question will become irrelevant in January, as Débaldérin faces a series of tough but crucial matches in the new year. A double-header against Hemur Enge (home on January 11 and away on January 18), followed by the rematch against DKOD (home on January 25), will determine whether Débaldérin has truly outgrown this division.
Scores: Tirza (4), Lara (4), Nathalie (4), Bart (3), Matthijs (3), Marieke (2), Deen, Tom, and Jurren.
Written by Bart